The Westin Maui Resort & Spa is moving to reposition the property as Ka’anapali’s most elevated resort, with details of a US$100 million upgrade revealed to Australian meeting and event organisers this morning in Hawaii, LATTE can exclusively reveal.
The long-term leasehold of the 759-room property was sold to a joint venture between funds managed by Trinity Investments and Oaktree Capital Management in March last year for US$317 million. At the time of the sale, The Westin’s parent company, Marriott International, announced that the new owners had agreed to invest in “meaningful capital improvements”, including the Beach Tower and a refresh of the resort’s public areas as well as food and beverage outlets.
Today, The Westin Maui Resort & Spa’s Director of Sales & Marketing, Brent Lausterer announced that while plans are still being finalised, the enhancements completed in 2018 and 2019 will elevate all aspects of the guest experience.
The resort’s re-imagining will cover guest arrival, food and beverage offerings and the resort’s famous aquatic playground. Improvements to food and beverage, for example, will highlight the destination’s cultural diversity and locally-grown ingredients, as well as placing further emphasis on the unrivalled ocean views of the resort’s restaurants.
The transformation of the Beach Tower, which sits just metres from Ka’anapali Beach, is another key component, and will include a unique package of services and experiences exclusive to Beach Tower guests.
“When combined with the exceptional accommodations, we see the Beach Tower as having a great appeal to the luxury traveller,” Lausterer said.
Beyond the physical transformation, the resort continues to innovate and introduce new experiences for all guests, such as Westin Maui Waterman and the RunWestin Concierge, which provide unique chances to connect with local experts and open doors to discovering Maui on a very personal level.
“We are calling our transformation ‘Holomua’ which means ‘improvement, progress and success’ in the Hawaiian language. This is not just a renovation, it’s a repositioning of the property.”
Lead image exclusive to LATTE – the revamped Beach Tower room design under consideration.